1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an OFDM transmission system, an OFDM receiver, OFDM modems including ADSL modems and VDSL modems, and methods of synchronising an OFDM receiver with an incoming multi-carrier signal, in particular, the present invention relates to frame synchronisation for an OFDM system using frequency domain data.
2. Background of the Invention
In this specification the term OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex) type is intended to include DMT (Discrete Multi-Tone).
The demand for provision of multi-media and other broad bandwidth services over telecommunications networks has created a need to transmit high bit rate traffic over copper pairs. This requirement has led to the development of a number of different transmission schemes, such as, ADSL (Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line) and VDSL (Very high bit-rate Digital Subscriber Lines). One of the more likely modulation systems for all these transmission schemes is a line code known as DMT (discrete multi-tone), which bears a strong resemblance to orthogonal frequency division multiplex, and is a spread spectrum transmission technique.
In discrete multi-tone transmission, the available bandwidth is divided into a plurality of sub-channels each with a small bandwidth, 4 kHz perhaps. Traffic is allocated to the different sub-channels in dependence on noise power and transmission loss in each sub-channel. Each channel carries multi-level pulses capable of representing up to 11 data bits. Poor quality channels carry fewer bits, or may be completely shut down.
Because inter pair interference in copper pair cables is higher where data is transmitted in both directions, i.e. symmetric duplex, a number of transmission schemes have proposed the use of asymmetric schemes in which high data rates are transmitted in one direction only. Such schemes meet many of the demands for high bandwidth services, such as, video-on-demand.
VDSL technology resembles ADSL to a large degree, although ADSL must cater for much larger dynamic ranges and is considerably more complex as a result. VDSL is lower in cost and lower in power, and premises VDSL units need to implement a physical layer media access control for multiplexing upstream data.
Four line codes have been proposed for VDSL:
CAP; Carrierless AM/PM, a version of suppressed carrier QAM, for passive NT configurations, CAP would use QPSK upstream and a type of TDMA for multiplexing (although CAP does not preclude an FDM approach to upstream multiplexing);
DMT; Discrete Multi-Tone, a multi-carrier system using Discrete Fourier Transforms to create and demodulate individual carriers, for passive NT configurations; DMT would use FDM for upstream multiplexing (although DMT does not preclude a TDMA multiplexing strategy);
DWMT; Discrete Wavelet Multi-Tone, a multi-carrier system using Wavelet Transforms to create and demodulate individual carriers, DWMT also uses FDM for upstream multiplexing, but also allows TDMA; and
SLC; Simple Line Code, a version of four-level baseband signalling that filters the base band and restores it at the receiver, for passive NT configurations; SLC would most likely use TDMA for upstream multiplexing, although FDM is possible.
Early versions of VDSL will use frequency division multiplexing to separate downstream from upstream channels and both of them from POTS and ISDN. Echo cancellation may be required for later generation systems featuring symmetric data rates. A rather substantial distance, in frequency, will be maintained between the lowest data channel and POTS to enable very simple and cost effective POTS splitters. Normal practice would locate the downstream channel above the upstream channel. However, the DAVIC specification reverses this order to enable premises distribution of VDSL signals over coaxial cable systems.
In a multi-carrier system, such as a DMT system, a receiver must be able to recover a sampling clock that is very accurately synchronized to a transmitter sampling clock. A known method, for achieving synchronization, uses a reserved carrier, the pilot carrier, which is transmitted with a fixed phase. The receiver sampling clock is then phase locked to the pilot carrier. Frame timing must also be recovered. In existing systems this has been achieved by using a correlation technique operating in the time domain.
With OFDM systems the frequency domain data is the Fourier transform of the received time domain OFDM frames. The time domain frames must be sampled, at the receiver, in synchronism with the transmitter, so that each received frame contains data from only a single transmitted frame. It is vital for this synchronism to be maintained in order to maintain the orthogonality of the frames.
A typical multi-carrier system, of the OFDM type, which uses a cyclic prefix, permits orthogonality to be maintained when there is a small deviation from exact frame synchronisation. Because the signalling interval includes both an entire frame and the cyclic prefix, which is a repetition of part of the frame, a frame sampled within the signalling interval will contain data from only one frame. Since the signalling interval is greater than the frame period, this gives some leeway in frame alignment.
The present invention provides a mechanism for achieving frame synchronisation, in the frequency domain, by utilising this fact. The first step in synchronising a receiver with a transmitter, on signal acquisition, is to determine the interval in which orthogonality exists. Once this has been achieved an argument function is calculated from the received frame. This argument function can then be used to improve the synchronisation.
Known techniques for achieving frame synchronisation do not operate entirely in the frequency domain, as is the case for the present invention. Use of the present invention permits implementation of OFDM receivers with a considerable saving in complexity, compared with prior art receivers, because the arithmetic operations required can be performed at low resolution.
The present invention is particularly suitable for use in ADSL and VDSL modems which can be used to give broadband access over copper networks. The invention is also of relevance to broadband transmission in mobile and semi-mobile systems for transmission over the radio channels.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a receiver, for use in an OFDM type transmission system, in which data is transmitted in frames, each frame having a cyclic prefix which is a repetition of part of said frame, characterised in that said receiver is synchronised with transmitted frames by operating on frequency domain input data.
Search means may be provided for carrying out a search for a time domain interval of one frame length which falls within a signalling interval that includes said frame and said cyclic prefix.
Said search means may include a counter means for generating a frame start pulse, said counter means"" state being modified in steps which shift said frame start pulse by an amount equal to said cyclic prefix length.
Said counter means may be clocked by a sampling clock.
Said counter means may be clocked to shift the timing of said frame start pulse until an objective function has a minimum value.
Said objective function may be derived from said frequency domain input data.
Said objective function may be an estimate of a disturbance in an argument function.
Said objective function, J, for a kth frame may be calculated from:       J    k    =            ∑      n        ⁢          "LeftBracketingBar"              ∠        (                                            X                              n                ,                k                                                    T                              n                ,                k                                              -                      ∠            ⁢                          (                                                X                                                            n                      -                      1                                        ,                    k                                                                    T                                                            n                      -                      k                                        ,                    k                                                              )                                      "RightBracketingBar"            
where X is a frequency domain vector, and T refers to training frame data and said summation is over all active carriers n.
Said search means may continue to search, until a first sample of a frame is identified, by using an estimated slope of an argument function of a frequency domain vector, X.
Said counter means"" state may be modified incrementally until said slope is close to zero.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an OFDM type transmission system in which data is transmitted in frames, each frame having a cyclic prefix which is a repetition of part of said frame, characterised in that said system includes a receiver as defined in any preceding paragraph.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided, in an OFDM type system in which data is transmitted in frames, each frame having a cyclic prefix which is a repetition of part of said frame, a method of synchronising a receiver with a transmitter so that received frames are aligned with transmitted frames, characterised by operating, in said receiver, on frequency domain input data.
Said receiver may search for a time domain interval of one frame length that falls within a signalling interval which includes said frame and said cyclic prefix.
Said searching step may be performed by incrementally modifying a counter""s state, said counter generating a frame start pulse which, for each increment, is shifted by an amount equal to said cyclic prefix length.
Said counter may be clocked with a sampling clock.
Said counter may be docked to shift said frame start pulse""s timing until an objective function has a minimum value.
Said objective function may be derived from said frequency domain input data.
Said objective function may be estimated from a disturbance in an argument function.
Said objective function, J, for a kth frame may be calculated from:       J    k    =            ∑      n        ⁢          "LeftBracketingBar"              ∠        (                                            X                              n                ,                k                                                    T                              n                ,                k                                              -                      ∠            ⁢                          (                                                X                                                            n                      -                      1                                        ,                    k                                                                    T                                                            n                      -                      k                                        ,                    k                                                              )                                      "RightBracketingBar"            
where X is a frequency domain vector, and T refers to training frame data and said summation is over all active carriers n.
Said search may be continued, to identify a first sample of a frame, by using an estimated slope of an argument function of a frequency domain vector, X.
Said counter may be modified, incrementally, until said slope is close to zero.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided an ADSL modem characterised in that said modem has a receiver as defined above, or operates a method of synchronisation as defined above.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a VDSL modem characterised in that said modem has a receiver as defined above, or operates a method of synchronisation as defined above.